WHO PAYS THE BILL? 57 



is another class, less easily distinguishable from other 

 citizens, which should be considered in this connection. 

 This class comprises all those who in no circumstances 

 would or could continue to win such a wage as is deemed to 

 be essential by the general sense of the community. This 

 class may be described as the inferior, and this wage as the 

 minimum wage. 



The inferior include in their ranks the stupid, the careless, 

 the inefficient, the intractable, the idle, the habitual 

 drunkard, as well as those too feeble in body or in health 

 to do a good day's work. The inferior add to public 

 expenditure in the same ways as do the unfit ; being often 

 found in pubhc institutions and in receipt of outdoor 

 rehef . And this class is so numerous that the gain which 

 would result from its disappearance would be even greater 

 than that due to the disappearance of the unfit. 



Unfortunately, citizens often fail to realize many of the 

 following ways in which they are hit by taxation ; although 

 the well-to-do can have no doubts on this subject. Poor 

 law expenditure is largely included in rates ; and a rise in 

 the rates causes a rise in the rents paid even by the poorest. 

 Every man in effect pays taxes every time he drinks a glass 

 of beer or a cup of tea, or smokes a pipe. Taxation for 

 unproductive purposes affects the commerce of the country 

 in such a way as to tend to cause a rise in the price of all 

 goods. We have seen that a reduction of the numbers of the 

 unfit and the inferior would result in a reduction in pubhc 

 expenditure. We now see that this again would lead to one 

 or all of the following advantages : — A reduction in taxation ; 

 an increase in the pubhc money available for expenditure 

 in other directions — on education, hbraries, roads, public 

 fighting, public safety, scientific research, for example; 

 and a reduction in prices. 



If we were to confine our attention to taxation, we 

 should, however, fail to realize much of the damage done to 

 us by the unfit and the inferior. Employers, whether 

 public or private, often can only look to the value of the 

 work done by whole groups of employees ; and consequently 



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